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By Alice Isabella Sullivan
Animal sacrifice is a common holiday tradition among Eastern Europeans and part of the preparation leading up to the winter holidays. To this day, in Romania, pig slaughtering takes place on St. Ignatius Day – observed on December 20 – marking the beginning of the Christmas celebrations.
With roots in antiquity, traditions like this one have a long and sustained history among the Orthodox Christians living in the rural communities of the Carpathian Mountains. For example, the medieval region of Maramureș – extending today over part of northern Romania and western Ukraine – preserves such customs. The culture of the region is unique, and the winter celebration are centuries-old.